83: How to Get Work Done with Kids at Home
As a mom of two kids, Heather understands the chaos and demands of working from home while caring for little ones.
In this episode, she shares her go-to strategies that have helped her build a thriving business during the small pockets of time available in her day. She dives into tips for managing your time, like creating a prioritized task list, limiting distractions, and using time-blocking strategies that match your energy levels. She also shares her favorite kid-friendly ideas (sensory bins, crafting, and more!) to keep little ones entertained while you tackle your to-do list.
If you’re wondering if it’s actually possible to grow a successful business from home while caring for kids, Heather’s here to say yes, it is! This episode is full of advice and encouragement to help you make it work!
Key Takeaways:
- (03:00) Strategic work during child-free moments
- (06:50) Time management and productivity hacks
- (09:05) Entertaining kids while getting work done
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Building a Thriving Business While Parenting: Essential Strategies for Success
Discover tried-and-true methods to balance entrepreneurship with parenting, optimizing productivity, and ensuring quality family time.
Leveraging Child-Free Time Effectively
Heather breaks down how to use the time without kids around to its fullest potential. From making lists to prioritizing tasks and eliminating distractions, these tips will revolutionize your work-from-home routine.
1. Always Know What’s Next
One of Heather’s key strategies is to always know the next task on the list.
By maintaining a detailed to-do list and leaving a note of the next action item before stepping away from the desk, you streamline your work process and avoid wasting precious time wondering what to tackle next.
This method ensures a seamless transition between breaks and work periods, maintaining momentum and productivity.
2. Prioritize and Tackle the Hardest Tasks First
Prioritization is critical. Heather emphasizes the importance of ranking tasks by their importance and tackling the toughest ones during your peak productivity hours.
This approach ensures that even the most challenging tasks are accomplished efficiently, leaving simpler tasks for when you’re less energetic.
3. Limit Distractions
Creating an environment conducive to focus can significantly boost productivity. Heather suggests minimizing distractions by working in a quiet space, using tools like AirPods or headphones to block noise, and only keeping necessary tabs open on your computer.
She also recommends setting notification filters on your phone to ensure only urgent messages come through, thereby preventing constant interruptions from social media and other notifications.
4. Utilize Time-Saving Hacks
Adopting time-saving techniques can make a significant difference. Heather suggests methods such as using talk-to-text for drafting emails or starting projects from existing templates.
These practices reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks, allowing you to focus on more critical elements of your work.
5. Time Blocking Based on Productivity
Heather’s unique approach to time blocking involves scheduling work during specific chunks of the day rather than by the clock.
By identifying the most productive times of the day—typically morning for most people—and aligning the hardest tasks with these times, you can achieve more with less effort.
Simpler tasks can be scheduled during lower energy periods, ensuring a balanced and effective work schedule.
Getting Work Done with Kids Around
Heather shares her favorite ways to keep her children entertained without resorting to screens. From sensory bins to arts and crafts, these engaging activities will buy you some precious work time.
1. Opt for Independent Play
Entertaining young children doesn’t always require a screen. Heather highlights several non-screen-based activities that can keep kids engaged independently while you work.
Sensory bins filled with rice, beans, or oats and simple tools like measuring cups can captivate children’s attention for substantial periods. Contact paper with tissue paper scraps and large rolls of paper with dot markers or crayons also serve as excellent distractions.
2. Create DIY Activity Stations
Setting up various activity stations around the house can mimic classroom centers. For example, a corner with magnet blocks, another with Lego pieces, and a third with craft supplies allows children to move between activities, keeping them engaged while you work. Providing old toys or baby toys stored away can reignite children’s interest and keep them occupied.
3. Use Quiet Time Strategically
Understanding that interruptions are inevitable allows for realistic planning. Heather suggests reserving simpler tasks for times when children are likely to interrupt.
Activities such as replying to emails, designing graphics, or using templates for repetitive tasks are ideal during these periods.
Balancing a business with parenting is undeniably challenging, but with strategic planning and practical techniques, it’s possible!